Four for the weekend: Lena Dunham, Kneecap and a fix-all stew

Lena Dunham dishes the gossip in Famesick. (Reuters: Daniel Cole) Link copiedShareShare articleBook: Famesick by Lena Dunham Published by 4th Estate (HarperCollins) Lena Dunham, the creator of Girls and "a voice of a generation" has just released her memoir, Famesick, about her life in the spotlight, from bursting onto the indie filmmaking scene with her debut Tiny Furniture, through to today, as she continues to learn to live with chronic illness. Tiny Furniture's critical success led HBO to commission Girls, a series that received its fair share of criticism, but also captured something true about millennial malaise and the way friendships can grow and splinter as young people become more themselves. Girls creator Lena Dunham's memoir Famesick follows her bestselling essay collection Not That Kind of Girl. (Supplied: HarperCollins) While Dunham's missteps and relationships became tabloid fodder — like her break-up with super-producer Jack Antonoff — as an audience, what we didn't see was the cost of being catapulted to stardom. While there's plenty of gossip in Famesick, with early appearances from Greta Gerwig, Nora Ephron and the Safdie brothers, and some troubling new intel on Adam Driver, the book shines in the attention the author gives to the little details of her life and the expansive feeling of youth. At the same time, Dunham offers perspective on the lovers who mistreated her, the industry that called for her to gain weight to be funny, and moments of companionship — and shared anxiety — with co-stars and collaborators. Lena Dunham is so back. Hugh Jackman leads a wily flock in The Sheep Detectives. (Supplied: Sony Pictures) What do you get when you mix the writer Chernobyl and The Last of Us, the director of Minions and a whole bunch of CGI sheep? If you guessed the best children's film of the year so far, then you would be correct! It might sound dismal on paper but The Sheep Detectives, based on Leonie Swann's German novel, defies the odds to produce a charming and hilarious whodunnit that will keep both parents and children engaged. After the mysterious death of their beloved shepherd George (Hugh Jackman), his plucky flock (enlivened by the voices of Julia Louis Dreyfus, Chris O'Dowd and Bella Ramsey) are forced to solve the case alongside their quaint town's bumbling police officer (Nicholas Braun, pulling out some excellent slapstick). Beneath the child-friendly antics are poignant ruminations on death, grief, memory and acceptance, so you might want to pop some tissues in your popcorn box. A spiritual successor to Babe, this is one children's movie you wouldn't mind as a franchise. The title of Kneecap's new album reclaims a once-derogatory word, Fenian, to its original term for warriors in Irish folklore. (Supplied: Heavenly Recordings) Spitting anti-imperialist sentiments in English and Gaelic, Kneecap's rave-rap has made them North Ireland's most notorious band. Firstly, with an acclaimed biopic and then as controversy-baiting agitators, outraging politicians and facing prosecution over terrorist charges (that were thrown out of court). Fenian capitalises on that confrontational momentum; a ferocious, irreverent, politically charged record that beefs up their winning formula of Public Enemy meets The Prodigy. They blast PMs Keir Starmer and Benjamin Netanyahu on Liars Tale, savage British colonialism on An Ra, and condemn the conflict in Gaza on a claustrophobic grime joint featuring Palestinian rapper Fawzi. Uncompromising about their targets, Kneecap also expand their emotional and sonic range. Irish Goodbye is a devastating ode to Móglaí Bap's mother, who died by suicide in 2020, while the vintage techno of Big Bad Mo and drum n bass shout-along Headcase form a thrilling mid-album peak. You don't need to be fluent in native Irish, or necessarily align with their political views, to appreciate Kneecap's athletic, bilingual bars or revolutionary spirit. This recipe delivers the comfort of an "old fashioned" stew fast, Elizabeth Hewson says. (Supplied: Nikki To/Murdoch Books) Elizabeth Hewson is promising a lot but, honestly, when you can have a satisfying chicken stew on the table in less than an hour, it can make all the difference in your day. Creamy and flavourful, this stew is made with chicken thighs, so no wrangling a whole chicken, and is made with ingredients you might already have in your fridge. Plus you can swap out the potatoes for other veggies you do have, or add in extras along with them. So while the stew might not be able to make everything ok. At least you know dinner will be. Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)PromotionTop StoriesExtreme fatigue illness linked with changes to immune cells: studyTopic:Health

Four for the weekend: Lena Dunham, Kneecap and a fix-all stew

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